Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Conclusion)

Weekly Thought – December 30, 2014

Fred appreciated year’s end. He used the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day to analyze the past year. He encouraged others to do audits which included financial and spiritual. He acknowledged the power of God to lead in his life.

As this year closes, please know how very grateful we are for the work God has given us to do. And for your support. We commit ourselves to stretching and blessing through the weekly thoughts, the leadership institutes, and our blogs. May you experience the love and light of Jesus as 2014 ends.

Does Success Trump Saintliness (Conclusion)

Woven through everything I’ve said in this letter is the firm belief that each of us is a unique creation of God. In His love and providence He has engineered into us the capacity to live full, rich, and successful lives. I believe that God’s principles are like interwoven cables which provide structure and support yet give flexibility.

In Dallas there is a business which features an unusually tall flagpole holding an exceptionally large American flag. Because of its height, it is exposed to the winds of downtown Dallas. Upon inspection, you see a set of springs which give the banner some flexibility. If it were tightly harnessed to the pole, the winds would tear it apart.

I see God’s principles for living the same way. They are supporting, undergirding, and holding all things “by the power of His might.” But they are designed to work without being hammered down into a box. (more…)

Eventually Ever Thankful

blog-33-eventually-ever-thankful

Brenda’s Blog – December 30, 2014

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a slight problem and will be leaving soon… Ladies and Gentlemen, there is an additional problem so the maintenance crew will be coming out to check… Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be returning to the gate for repairs… Ladies and Gentlemen, the maintenance department will be coming with the required paperwork and we will depart for Dallas/Fort Worth shortly.”

The running narrative represented a series of “few minutes” until we had been squooshed into a full flight for nearly two hours before takeoff. I am a road warrior, loving my time in the car with all the freedom, space, and independence afforded by my own wheels. Here I was leaning into the window as the heavy set gentlemen next to me snuggled into my side and slept soundly.

All on a Thanksgiving Day morning! Clearly, I had a choice: grumpiness or gratitude. I would like to say I immediately shifted into grateful heart mode, but momentarily I tried on the grumpy face to see how it felt.

Then I remembered a man who spent years imprisoned, impoverished, and isolated who taught us the only true freedom is the control of our attitude. Viktor Frankl came back, as did my Dad’s love of his philosophy. I looked at the man in the seat next to me trying to get to Tucson to watch his son play in a college football game and acknowledged the power of parental love. I looked at the two basketball teams on the plane and thought of those young men who would assume leadership positions in our world someday. I silently thanked the woman in the seat in front for not reclining into my already cage-like space.

Instead of a run of the mill flight, I experienced the opportunity to practice appreciation. I even mentally thanked the FAA for having regulations which prevent planes from flying with non-working pumps!

Dad said, “Never lose the good of a bad experience.” The Bible says, “In all things give thanks.” Gratitude is the pathway to a joyful life.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 6)

Weekly Thought – December 23, 2014

Fred had a business principle: Be colorful, but not showy. On Christmas he crossed his own line. He waited until the entire family assembled then appeared in a red velour shirt, red sweatpants, and red socks. The group groaned appropriately, but looked forward to the next “faux Santa” occasion.

This is the last excerpt from the letter to the young man who wondered if he could be a Christian and still be successful.

May you experience the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ during this season celebrating His incarnation. May you continue to strive for maturity and connect with others as you journey.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 6)

As I outlined my thinking on business success I gave you twelve recommendations of things to implement in your planning. I am confident you need to have an attitude of forward motion. You will not do well if you stay in a defensive posture. You have heard me talk about constructive strengths and destructive weaknesses. It is important to look at both the principles of “do,” and those of “don’t.”

Here are four don’ts to consider as you build your strategy for career development.

1) Don’t ever give up. A person should never spend time thinking about reasons for giving up, slowing down, or stopping. This is why the follow through in business, just like in sports, is so critical. In golf we talk about the high follow through. Good golfers don’t begin to slow down before hitting the ball. When a person develops the habit of winning, you won’t quit at a crucial time, either consciously or unconsciously. (more…)

Hare-Raising Tail

blog-32-hare-raising-tail

Brenda’s Blog – December 16, 2014

“You take a shaker and sprinkle salt on the rabbit’s tail… that is the way you catch them.”

First came the incredulous expression, then the laughter as we listened to our friend’s story of her childhood. “Mom would send us to the top of a steep hill where the rabbits lived, dragging a large box which took two of us to carry. Then she gave us salt shakers.”

“Did you ever catch a rabbit?” “No, but this is what we did year after year.”

Apparently, the salt had some magical quality and slowed the rabbit down enough for them to capture the four legged hopper in the box.

Funny, eh? But then I started thinking about traditions which continue through families, churches, and businesses. “That’s the way we have always done it” never goes away, does it? A committee recommends changing the color of the church carpeting and some would think a divine edict had crashed into pieces on the somehow sacrosanct floor.

“Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburger” is the somewhat irreverent title of a book which challenges us to look status quo in the face. Do we accept things as they are just because they are? Do we go rabbit hunting with salt shakers because we always have?

Tradition is important. In fact, I think we are trashing too much of our national history, but we must constantly search for the context. Was there a reason for the activity? Is this still valid? Would another practice be more appropriate and effective?

Remember the old story about the holiday ham? Susie asks her mother Nancy why they cut off the ends of the meat before putting it in the pan. “That is the way you do it,” responded Nancy. Now curious, Nancy asks her Mom, Mary who answers with the same reasoning. Grandmother Marie is then asked why the family bakes a ham this way.” My pan was too short, so I had to cut it to fit.”

We all have our salt shakers. We all follow patterns without question. Some of them give us warm memories of childhood memories. Some of them just become habitual and need shaking up.

The next time you see a floppy eared, cotton-tailed critter hopping through your yard, grab your Morton’s and go for it!

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 5)

Weekly Thought – December 16, 2014

Fred loved talent… recognizing it, developing it, and encouraging it. He thought analytically and created strategic outlines for “making progress.” In this letter he thinks about ways to enable a young man to grow professionally and personally.

Thank you for your ongoing encouragement as we bring Fred’s archived wisdom to you. He sought to stretch others and our desire is for his thinking to spur you to maturity.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 5)

I want to share out of my own experience twelve do’s and five don’ts that I think are particularly applicable to the young person who wants to move well in a corporate environment. These are generalities, of course, and there will always be exceptions and variations.

1) Do accept the job as an individual and complete challenge in itself – not just as a stepping stone toward the next level. Master the job so completely you will be able to devise new and better methods for achieving the best results.

2) Do locate and cultivate someone above you (as high as possible) who can be your sponsor. It is critically important to recognize sponsorship must be built on merit and mutual respect, not just friendship or social connections.

3) Do focus on making a good first impression. For example, this can be done by: asking intelligent questions, being a good listener, being colorful but not showy, understanding your area of genius and developing it. (more…)

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 4)

Weekly Thought – December 9, 2014

Fred readily acknowledged those who influenced his thinking. For example, he often referred to Oswald Chambers as his daily theologian. As a lifelong learner, Fred’s antennae were always alerted to those who clarified or introduced ideas. In turn, he did this for many.

The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute and the Breakfast With Fred Project are based on 2 Timothy 2:2 in which Paul encourages his young protege to find men and women who will continue the passing on of truth.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 4)

E. Stanley Jones greatly affected me when he said that the difference between Christianity and other religions was based on the fact that in Christianity “the Word became flesh but in other religions the word remained word.” Frankly, I believe the greatest witness a Christian can ever have is to allow the Word to become flesh.

Personally, I’ve never been a very vocal witnessing Christian in the business community. There was a time when I became concerned about this. Then I began learning about the functioning of the Holy Spirit. Up until that time I hadn’t realized that my only job was to sow seed under the direction of the Spirit.

I had been intimidated by the compulsive witnesses. In a mood of honest experimentation one morning I told God, “Today I won’t duck.” By that I meant that if the subject came up I wouldn’t duck it, but at the same time I would not feel any responsibility for bringing up the subject with anyone. And each morning since then before leaving for work I’ve prayed to not duck. I have had some of the most interesting opportunities to witness – along with some fascinating temptations to duck. (more…)

Masks We Wear

blog-31-masks

Brenda’s Blog – December 2, 2014

“What if I take off the mask and there is no one there?”

As I told my friend about Steve Brown’s teaching on masks at The Cove in North Carolina, he paused and asked this poignant question. His expression mirrored the thoughts we may all have.

We wear masks of gentility, civility, humility, and spirituality. We don coverings for our fears, our difficult emotions, and our inability to cope. We walk around appearing to live well and prosper even when we are struggling for breath. “Don’t let them see you sweat” is mask language as is “fake it ‘til you make it.”

However, we are not called to be self-ordained mask rippers. We are not given the task of demasking others in the name of transparency. We have a big enough job just removing our own without creating havoc and chaos.

Interestingly enough, when we are given the armor of God, a mask to cover and protect our face is not issued. We are to cover our head, protecting our thoughts with the power of salvation; a chestplate which guards our heart with His righteousness; a belt which tells us the truth and keeps our pants from falling down; shoes which prepare us to walk in peace; a shield which is formed in community to stand against the fiery darts, and then the sword of the spirit which is the word of God putting us on the offense. NO FACE MASK.

Even though we may dread taking off the false front, we can find freedom in our relationships, our career, our community service, and certainly in our worship lives. The Bible tells us we will one day see Him as He is. The joy of the Christian faith is that with His help we can step out showing who we are.

My friend worries that no one is behind the carefully crafted mask. I bet he would be surprised and relieved. After all, those masks get heavy and they probably cause wrinkles as they drag us down!

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 3)

Weekly Thought – December 2, 2014

Fred wrote a section of You and Your Network titled Joy in the Journey. He believed fully in experiences. The only exception was family trips when the children were young. He and Mary Alice would pile them into the car after marking the quickest distance between A and B… then off they would go! Fred’s desire to “make good time” seemed measured by a stop watch. While traveling from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, he waved his hand and announced to the family, “There is the Grand Canyon…” and kept on driving. He later understood the value of stopping and encouraged his children to travel with stops.

The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute is an experience sharing wisdom, hope, and encouragement between two generations. There is ample time for conversation and connection. Thank you for supporting us.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 3)

Thoughtful planning and the marshalling of ego and responsibility energies on a day to day basis is critical. Throughout life we call upon them. It is important to learn the lesson of joy in the journey.
In my judgment, we spend far too much time concentrating on some distant and future destination than in considering the possible ways to get there. We become so convinced that happiness comes in achieving the distant goal that we fail to find the joys and enrichment that come along the way. (more…)

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 2)

Weekly Thought – November 25, 2014

Fred and Mary Alice greatly appreciated the Thanksgiving time. For years, the entire family would gather at their house to share delicious food and great laughter. Fred sat at the head of the table, thoroughly enjoying the interchange among the family and contributing his thoughts, of course. Mary Alice lived Thanksgiving all year. Whenever the family got together she would smile and say, “Now THIS is Thanksgiving.”

We at BWF are indeed thankful to the Lord for His gracious gift of ministry. We are grateful to you all who express appreciation for the words of Fred. And your generous gifts of love continually strengthen us week by week.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 2)

I’ve known and seen a good many talented young people who rise rapidly in their business careers. And then, for seemingly no reason at all, they flatten out onto a plateau where they then remain for the rest of their time. After thoughtful observation, I’ve arrived at a hypothesis which satisfies me.

At first, they are alive with the physical energy of youth. They are new on the job and possess a vibrancy and zest for the game that is irresistible – even all-consuming. Competition for promotion spurs them on, and they move ahead – up the ladder of success with what appears to be inexhaustible drive.

Then at around age 40 the sheer physical drive begins to level off. A subtle change is occurring. The juices just don’t flow on command as before. And to continue the climb a second force must take over – a spiritual energy or drive. You see, for most of us life is like a two stage rocket. The first stage is sheer physical energy. It ignites and we take off. Then as physical energy diminishes, the spiritual stage must ignite to boost us on toward the heights. (more…)

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 1)

Weekly Thought- November 18, 2014

Fred’s friend Steve Brown of Keylife Network reminded an audience recently of Fred’s impact. He said, “There are times when I still reach for the phone to call him and ask a question.” Many knew him for his humor, his business acumen, and many approached him for his honest approach to serious questions. This week begins a series based on a letter written to an unknown recipient who asked the question, “Can I be a Christian and still be successful.” The letter is 30 typed pages (Fred never skimped). It will be excerpted over the next six weeks.

BWFLI is actively scheduling events for 2015 and 2016. We are pleased to return to several campuses which have welcomed us over the last six years. We will also add new schools to our group of friends. Please pray as teams are organized, funds are raised, and preparations are made. You are greatly appreciated – and needed.

Does Success Trump Saintliness? (Part 1)

“Is it possible to enjoy success in business today and be a Christian?” “Can a person get rich and still be a Christian?” “Is it possible to live a consistent Christian life and still get ahead in a large corporation?”
These questions have been put to me on college campuses, in plush corporate board rooms, and by earnest young people expecting to claw their way up the ladder. And my answer in every case is a simple “Yes.” It is possible and I have seen it happen again and again.

But I think it is very important to understand that being a Christian will in no way insure success in anything. Rather, success comes from a single-minded application of your abilities – it comes from hard work – it is using your talents and gifts to their highest advantage. Wealth may come as a result, but then again, it may not.

This may sound particularly (and peculiarly) pious, but I believe in working for success, not praying for it. Instead, I suggest praying for maturity while working for success. (more…)

1 2 3 ›»